Decorating device



May 26, 1964 F. SEBANC DECORATING DEVICE Filed July 2, 1962 United States Patent Ofili ce 3,134,327 .Patented May 26, 1964 3,134,327 DECORATING DEVICE Felix Sebanc, 22 Whaley Drive, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed July 2, 1962, Ser. No. 206,711 1 Claim. (Cl. 101331) This invention relates to decorating devices More particularly, this invention relates to roller type decorating devices for painting or printing patterns on walls, ceilings, cloth, paper and other surfaces. Even more particularly, this invention relates to multi-colour decorating devices for painting or printing multi-colour patterns in a single operation.

Roller type decorating devices which are adapted to print or paint patterns in one colour are well known in the art as is evidenced by the following United States patents: 2,004,576, I. Kirsch, June 11, 1935; 808,439, W. H. Deidrick, December 26, 1905; and 2,637,272, R. H. Hesson, May 5, 1953.

Roller type decorating devices which are adapted to print or paint patterns in more than one colour also are well known in the art. Generally speaking two types of such devices have been employed in the past. One type employs a plurality of paint reservoirs and a plurality of paint transfer rollers each dipping into a diflerent paint reservoir and each transferring paint to a single printing roller. Examples of such devices may be seen in the fol- .lowing United States patents: 2,118,719, S. F. Wraal,

May 24, 1958; 1,830,145, H. Vieck, November 3, 1931; 2,548,580, M. Bick, April 10, 1951. The other type of multi-colour decorating devices employ a hollow feed roller which is divided into paint-receiving compartments positioned end-to-end along the length of the feed roller as shown in United States Patent No. 957,501, H. Du Brau, May 10, 1910.

The former type of multi-colour decorating devices have numerous disadvantages. They are expensive because of the number of parts making up the device and the complexity of the assembly. They are unwieldy and cumbersome to use because they must necessarily be large in view of the number of components thereof. Furthermore, if the pattern on the printing roller is inked with two or more superimposed paints of a different colour, the tendency is for the colour which is printed or painted to be simply varying shades of the colour which results when the two or more paints of the different colours are mixed. Consequently, it is virtually impossible to achieve a uniform pattern with such devices. On the other hand, if the two or more colours are applied to the printing roller in such a manner that they are not superimposed on the pattern on the printing roller, but are adjacent to each other along the length of the pattern on the printing roller, the resultant pattern will give only a stripe effect, and it is not possible to simultaneously print a pattern wherein different coloured parts of the pattern are intermingled. Precisely the same disadvantage is present with the latter type of multi-colour decorating device.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of my invention to provide a decorating device which is adapted to simultaneously print a pattern composed of a plurality of intermingled colours, this being achieved by the employment of a feed roller having radial paint-receiving compartments.

It is another object of my invention to provide a multicolour decorating device which is simple to construct and use and which employs a minimum number of parts.

In brief, a decorating device embodying my invention comprises a printing roller having a pattern on the peripheral surface thereof, a hollow feed roller for applying liquid such as paint and the like to the pattern and support means. The printing roller and the feed roller are positioned side-by-side with the longitudinal axes thereof parallel to each other and with the outer surface of the feed roller in liquid transfer contact with the pattern. The printing roller and the feed roller are rotatably supported by the support means for rotation about their longitudinal axes. Divider means extend longitudinally in the feed roller and separate the interior of the feed roller into at least two paint-receiving compartments each of which have two open ends and an open side. At least a part of one of the paint-receiving compartments constitutes a first longitudinally extending radial paint-receiving compartment, and at least a part of another of the paint-receiving compartments constitutes a second longitudinally extending radial paint-receiving compartment. The first and second radial paint-receiving compartments are radially adjacent each other and each has at least a portion thereof overlapping a portion of the other. Means are provided for sealing the open ends of the paintreceiving compartment. At least the first and second radial paint-receiving compartments communicate in fluid-flow relationship with the outer surface of the feed roller through the open sides of the first and second radial paint-receiving compartments. A pad of liquid absorbing material is positioned adjacent each of the paint-receiving compartments. The outer surface of this pad forms the outer surface of the feed roller. Separating means are provided for substantially separating the portions of the pad of material which are adjacent each of the paint-receiving compartments from each other.

My invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a decorating device embodying my invention in front elevation; I

FIGURE 2 is a section taken along line 2-2 in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of the various components making up a feed roller for use with a decorating device embodying my invention; and

FIGURE 4 shows part of an alternative feed roller which may be used with a decorating device embodying my invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, I have shown a decorating device 10 which includes a support 11, a printing roller 12 and the feed roller 13. Support 11 consists of a yoke 14 having two arms 15 and 16 and a handle 17. Provided in arm 15 is an elongated slot 18. A bolt 19 passes through an aperture in arm 16 and through slot 18. A wing nut 20 threadably engages bolt 19 and secures arms 15 and 16 together. Handle 17 has a threaded stud 21 which threadably engages arm 16 and passes through slot 18, a Wing nut 22 threadably engaging stud 21. It will be seen that by loosening wing nuts 20 and 22 it is possible to vary the spacing between the upstanding portions of arms 15 and 16 to accommodate rollers of different lengths. A threaded aperture 23 is provided in one end of handle 17 so as to permit accommodation of an extension handle. A plurality of apertures 24 are provided in the upstanding portions of each of arms and 16, and it will be seen that printing roller 12 and feed roller 13 are rotatably supported by arms 15 and 16 for rotation about the longitudinal axes of printing roller 12 and feed roller 13 respectively by means of pins 26 which extend through apertures 24 and are connected to rollers 12 and 13.

As best shown in FIGURE 1, printing roller 12 has a pattern 28 cut on the peripheral surface thereof. Printing roller 12 may be made of any suitable, slightly resilient plastic or rubber, for example. Printing roller 12 and feed roller 13 are positioned side-by-side with the longitudinal axes thereof parallel to each other and with the outer surface 29 of feed roller 13 in liquid transfer contact with pattern 23. Also as shown in FIGURE 1, gears 50 are secured to rollers 12 and 13 and mesh with each other to ensure that printing roller 12 and feed roller 13 rotate at the same speed. Best results are achieved if the diameter of printing roller 12 is a multiple of the diameter of feed roller 13, it being understood that the term multiple includes the case where the diameters of the two rollers are the same. However, it is not absolutely essential in practising my invention that the diameter of printing roller 12 be a multiple of the diameter of feed roller 13, this only being required where it is desirable to achieve uniformity in the pattern which may be printed by a device embodying my invention.

Turning now to FIGURES 2 and 3 it will be seen that feed roller 13 comprises a perforated cylindrical wall 30 over which is positioned a sleeve 31 made of a spongy, liquid absorbing material, the outer surface of which constitutes the outer surface 29 of the feed roller. Removably positioned within cylindrical wall 313 and inside the feed roller are a plurality of dividers 32 which extend longitudinally therein for at least substantially the length of feed roller 13, each divider radiating outwardly from the longitudinal axis of feed roller 13 and contacting the inner surface of perforated cylindrical wall 30. Dividers 32 separate the interior of feed roller 13 into a plurality of radial paint-receiving compartments 33 each of which has two open ends 34 and an open side 35, the radial paint-receiving compartments communicating in fluid-flow relationship with sleeve 31 through open sides 35 and perforated cylindrical wall 30. It should be noted that where herein I refer to a radial paint-receiving compartment, I mean a longitudinally extending compartment which is defined by divider means which subtend an angle between them of less than 360. It will be seen from FIGURES 2 and 3 that radial paint-receiving compartments 33 are radially adjacent each other and overlap each other, i.e. are positioned one behind the other.

Provided in sleeve 31 are slots 36 which extend longitudinally in sleeve 31. Mounted on the outer surface of perforated cylindrical wall 30 are dividers or ribs 37 which are inserted in slots 36 and substantially preclude paint from one compartment 33 passing through into the parts of sleeve 31 adjacent to an adjacent compartment 33. Positioned in and freely movable in each paintreceiving compartment 33 is a rod 38 which is at least substantialy the same length as the length of the paintreceiving compartment wherein the rod is positioned. Divider walls 39 are positioned in paint-receiving compartments 33 between dividers 32 and divide paint-receiving compartments 33 into longitudinaly adjacent paintreceiving compartments. Discs 40 each carrying a pin 26 are provided with a threaded cylindrical flange 41 which is adapted to mate with a threaded portion at each end of perforated cylindrical wall 30, thereby sealing the open ends 34 of paint-receiving compartments 33 so as to preclude paint from one compartment passing through into another compartment through open ends 34.

In FIGURE 4 I have shown part of another feed roller 13, namely cylindrical perforated wall 31} and dividers 32,

which, it Will be seen, divide the interior of feed roller 13 into two paint-receiving compartments 43 and 44, a divider wall 3*} being provided as shown. Thus, divider 32 and 39 separate the interior of feed roller 13 into a radial paint-receiving compartment 43 and another radial paint-receiving compartment 44a which is radially adjacent paint-receiving compartment 4-3 and is a part of paint-receiving compartment 44. Again it will be noted that radial paint-receiving compartments 43 and 44a overlap each other.

11 the operation of a decorating device embodying my invention, printing roller 12 and feed roller 13 are removed from arms 15 and 16 by removing wing nuts 29 and 22 and detaching arms 15 and 16. One of discs 40 is threadably disengaged from cylindrical perforated wall 31?, and the exposed paint-receiving compartments 33 each are filled with paint of different colours. Disc 40 then is replaced. If divider wals 39 are provided, the opposite disc 40 is removed and the exposed empty compartments are filled with paint. Disc 40 then is fastened in place, and printing roller 12 and feed roller 13 are remounted rotatably on arms 15 and 16. When printing roller 12 is brought into engagement with a wall, a ceiling, paper or the like and rolled thereon, the motion of the printing roller will be transmitted to feed roller 13 through gears 50, causing feed roller 13 to rotate at the same speed as printing roller 12.v During rotation of feed roller 13, rods 38 force the paint in paint-receiving compartments 33 out through perforated cylindrical wall 30 into sleeve 31. The paint subsequently is applied from sleeve 31 to the pattern 28 on printing roller 12, and thence is applied to the surface on which the pattern is being made. Because of dividers 37, there is little tendency for different colours of paint to mix with one another in sleeve 31.

It wil be readily apparent that with apparatus of the aforementioned type it is possible to simultaneously apply a pattern which is composed of a plurality of colours which are intermingled one with the other, ie wherein one colour is completely surrounded by another colour or by other colours. This efiect together with a striping effect can be achieved with apparatus of the type shown in FIGURE 4. Moreover, as long as the diameters of the printing roller and feed roller are multiples of each other, especially in the case where they are equal to each other, uniformity of the pattern will be assured. Thus, in the case Where the two rollers are of the same diameter, it will be se seen that any part of pattern 28 always will come into contact with the same part of surface 29 of feed roller 13, so that this part of pattern 23 will always receive the same colour of paint. It will also be seen that my device is relatively simple to construct and use, requiring only a minimum of parts, and in particular only two rollers.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claim.

What I claim as my invention is:

A decorating device comprising a generally cylindrical printing roller having a pattern on the cylindrical surface thereof, a generally cylindrical hollow feed roller having a perforated cylindrical wall, support means, said printing roller and said feed roller being positioned sideby-side with the longitudinal axes thereof parallel to each other and with the outer surface of said feed roller in liquid transfer contact with said pattern, said printing roller and said feed roller being rotatably supported by said support means for rotation about said longitudinal axes of said printing roller and said feed roller respectively, divider means positioned in said feed roller and extending longitudinally therein at least substantially the length thereof, said divider means contacting the inner surface of said perforated cylindrical wall and separating the interior of said feed roller into a plurality of radial paint-receiving compartments defined by said perforated cylindrical wall and said divider means and each having two open ends, means for sealing said open ends of said paint-receiving compartments, and a spongy liquid absorbing material positioned over said perforated cylindrical wall, the outer surface of said material forming said outer surface of said feed roller, and separating means for substantially separating the portions of said material adjacent each of said paint-receiving compartments from each other, said separating means comprising ribs formed on said perforated cylindrical wall on the outer surface thereof adjacent to said spongy material, said ribs extending longitudinally along said perforated cylindrical Wall and being positioned adjacent said divider means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Adams et a1. May 14, 1889 Sorg Apr. 18, 1893 Du Brau May 10, 1910 Bowling et a1. Feb. 28, 1950 Dorman July 10, 1956 Christensen et a1. Sept. 10, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 10, 1933 Italy Sept. 9, 1958 

